A look at what is being demonstrated on the Exhibit Floor is a great way to see what is trending in the geospatial industry. Location, navigation, GIS positioning, sensors, geospatial intelligence, UAS, 3D, emergency response are just a few of the areas covered in the vast offerings seen throughout the week.

In an interview with Todd Steiner, marketing director, Geospatial Imaging and Optical Solutions and Tim Lemmon, marketing director, Geospatial Software Solutions, GISCafe Voice discussed the recent announcement from Trimble announcing an expanded portfolio of geospatial solutions for surveyors, engineers and mapping professionals. Highlights include new total stations, a new GNSS receiver and new field and office software features. According to company materials, the solutions save time, reduce costs, streamline workflows and produce high-quality geospatial deliverables across a wide range of industries.

Over the weekend, a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal near the city of Kathmandu, followed by aftershocks that also resulted in many deaths and structural damage. Simultaneously, climbers on Mount Everest’s base camp were buried in an avalanche, precipitated by the quake.

The following are some sites that provide some geospatial insight into the events. I’m leaving the links whole in most cases so that they are easy for people to access and will add others as I learn about them. If anyone has any other links that should be added to this list, please contact me at susan.smith@ibsystems.com.

Dharahara Tower, Kathmandu April 2014 before the earthquake, courtesy DigitalGlobe

In recent years, Emergency Response and Recovery has been tasked with addressing the growing number of natural disasters and manmade disasters worldwide. When a disaster happens, the role of GIS and geospatial is front and center in the identification of location and the location of individuals impacted in the event, as well as the clarification of the physical damage to vital structures. It is also fundamental to the provision of medical care and utilities during a time when those things may be scarce or non-existent.

What has been an un-announcement in the geospatial industry is the fact that Google Maps Engine and Google Earth Enterprise are to be discontinued by Google. It’s possible that Google didn’t send out a press release about this because their customers, who are mainly consumers, may mistake the message to mean that Google Maps and Google Earth will be discontinued by Google, which is absolutely not the case.

The Esri/Google architecture in the post Google Earth Enterprise World

David Burczyk, Segment Manager Field Solutions at Trimble, spoke with GISCafeVoice about the the company’s Rapid Positioning System, that includes Trimble RPT600 Layout Station, for layout of points and to capture them as-built measurements, and Trimble Field Link 2D software that runs on a performance tablet to control the layout station.

Chuck Herring, formerly of DigitalGlobe, is one of three founders (Joe Bermudez and Stephen Wood) of the startup company Allsource Analysis Inc. (ASA) Located in the heart of Colorado’s Front Range geospatial hub, commercial imagery intelligence and analytics products AllSource Analysis Inc. (ASA) is establishing itself as a company to address specific analysis and monitoring challenges using commercial satellite imagery and remote sensing.